As social distancing, online classes and isolation efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 continue to take their toll on mental health, students who wish to seek help now must do so in an almost entirely virtual landscape. Credit: Christian Harsa | Asst. Photo Editor
As social distancing, online classes and isolation efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus continue to take their toll on mental health, students who wish to seek help now must do so in an almost entirely virtual landscape.
Daniel Strunk, a clinical psychology professor and supervisor of the Depression Treatment and Research Clinic at Ohio State, said transitioning mental health services online has not provided equivalent care to in-person services, but it went better than expected. However, the virtual realm of wellness services has caused several difficulties in terms of awareness and accessibility.
“You have to think about each step of the process,” Strunk said. “Do people feel comfortable reaching out? Do they know where to go? Is the process of connecting to a service easy and user friendly? And then does the service satisfy their needs?”
Strunk said a central location to access all resources is an important goal in care accessibility, and Ohio State’s Counseling and Consultation Services’ mental health support webpage — which lists internal and external resources by severity of concern — is a good place to start.
Below is a guide to both university-affiliated and non-university-affiliated mental health resources available to Ohio State students.
Counseling and Consultation Services
Phone Screening: CCS provides a 10-15 minute conversation one-on-one with a counselor to access the best wellness service based on the information provided and the student’s goals. Students can register here.
Let’s Talk: Let’s Talk are drop-in Zoom sessions available from 3-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The student will speak one-on-one with CCS staff and be provided informal consultations. Students can sign up for Let’s Talk sessions here.
Group Counseling: CCS provides psychoeducation and skills group counseling; interpersonal group counseling; and identity-specific group counseling. A phone screening will assign the student to the group that best matches the goals they hope to accomplish while providing a supportive environment.
Drop-In Workshops: CCS offers free drop-in workshops with topics ranging from food, exercise and sleep strategies for mental health to beating anxiety. The links and schedule of workshops can be found here.
Student Wellness Center Resources
Buckeye Peer Access Line (PAL): Buckeye PAL is a non-emergency call line that operates Monday through Friday 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. The line creates a space for peer-to-peer support and hosts monthly group Zoom calls. The number is 614-514-3333.
Wellness coaching: Wellness coaching offers group or individual Zoom sessions as well as group meditation and wellness workshops. The nine dimensions of wellness — emotional, career, social, spiritual, physical, financial, intellectual, creative and environmental wellness — are used throughout the sessions to establish goals for individuals and create a supportive community in group sessions. Appointments can be scheduled online, by emailing [email protected] or by calling 614-292-4527.
Additional Resources
Ohio State Wellness App: The Ohio State Wellness app can connect students to wellness resources or help practice and build healthy habits personalized to the user.
MINDSTRONG: The College of Nursing provides a cognitive-behavioral skills-building program to promote healthy lifestyle habits. The program consists of seven weekly sessions to promote overall well-being and can be accessed by contacting [email protected].
Stress Management and Resiliency Training lab: The SMART lab currently conducts virtual sessions, using biofeedback and HeartMath, to reduce stress in individual or group settings, for those who are interested. Appointments can be scheduled here.
The Depression Treatment and Research Clinic: DTRC at Ohio State is currently offering slots for participation in a 12-week study for depression treatment. The clinic focuses on cognitive behavioral therapy as a means of treatment and strives to further understand depression and the methods used to treat it. Further information can be found here.
The Psychological Services Center: The PSC provides psychological treatments for a variety of mental health conditions, such as depression and personality disorders. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 614-292-2345 or email [email protected].
Student Advocacy Center: The Student Advocacy Center helps students navigate and resolve issues at Ohio State inside and outside of the classroom. Students in need of assistance from the center can email [email protected] or call 614-292-1111.
Student Life Disability Services: Student Life Disability Services helps students with disabilities access campus resources and navigate Ohio State. Students in need of services can email [email protected] or call 614-292-3307.
Personal Wellness and Mental Health: The College of Arts and Sciences offered a new course this spring called Personal Wellness & Mental Health (ARTSCI 5194). The course addresses the challenges of anxiety and depression which many college students face and teaches practices of how to overcome them, exposing them to different mental health resources, according to the college’s website.
Hotlines
For emergencies, call 911.
Columbus Suicide Prevention Hotline: (614)-221-5445
National 24/7 Suicide Hotlines: 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
Trevor Project LGBTQ Youth Suicide Hotline: 1-866-488-7386
Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
GLBT National Youth Talkline (25 and under): 800-246-7743
Crisis Text Line: text 4HOPE to 741-741
